Drying apparatus.



C. 0. SIDWBLL.

DBYING APPARATUS.A APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28, 1911.

Patented Dea-12, 1911.

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CHESTER-C. SIDWELL, OF RIVERA, CALIFORNIA.

DRYING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1911.

Application led February 28, 1911. Serial No. 611,471.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHESTER C. SIDWELL, citizen of the United States,residing at Rivera, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in DryingApparatus, .of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in drying apparatus, moreparticularly to devices of this character employed for drying walnutsand similar products, and has for one of its objects to improve theconstruct-ion and increase the efficiency and utility of devices of thischaracter.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterthrough.

which the product may be conducted and in which it is subjectedcontinuously to the action of the air, and in which provision is alsomade for overturning the product at suitable intervals so that the airlhas free access thereto and the drying action thereby accelerated. Y

Another object of the invention is to provide a device through which theproduct may be conducted progressively with the undried product enteringat one end and the completely dried product being discharged at theopposite end.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described andthen specifically pointed out in the claims.

The improved apparatus may be con structed of any required capacity andadapted without material structural changes to nuts, fruits, and likeproducts of different kinds, but, as before stated, is designed moreparticularly for drying walnuts and like products, and for the purposeof illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invent-ion an apparatusadapted for this special purpose is shown, and in the drawings thusemployed:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in sec tion, of the improvedapparatus; Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2 2 of Fig. l; andFig. 3 is a detached perspective view of one of the movable trays.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawingsby the same reference characters.

The improved apparatus embraces in its simpler form a pluralityy oftrays or supports, preferably covered with wire netting so that the airwill freely circulate through the product deposited upon the trays, andthe trays arranged to be tilted to discharge the .contents either intoanother similar series of trays in successive order ordirectly into adischarging mechanism, acording to the capacity of the apparatus.

Generally the trays will be arranged in series one vabove the other sothat the contents of one series will be discharged upon the series nextbelow and so on continuously, and in the drawings an apparatus is shownhaving three series of the trays arranged one above the other andsupported in a suitable framework, the framework being preferably opento permit a free circulation of air above and below the trays.

The frame is represented as a whole at 10 and is formed with a hopperbottom l1 and an endless discharge conveyer belt 12 arranged at thebottomv of the hopper. its upper portion the framework 10 is pro# videdwith a distributing conveyer, of suit able construction, and representedconventionally at 13. The'series of trays are precisely alike and thedescription of one will suliice for both.

Each of the trays comprises a rect-angular frame 14, preferably coveredwith a wire netting, represented at L5, of suitable mesh,

'the size of the mesh corresponding to the product which isto behandled. When employed for drying walnuts the wire netting known asNumber 2 market will be employed for this purpose. The frames 111 may beof any required size, but will ordinarily be about one foot wide andabout ten feet long, arranged side by side, and each tray provided withpins 16 at the ends bearing in the members of the frame 10 so that thetrays may be tilted sufficiently to permit the contents to bedischarged. Any suitable means may be employed for tilting the trays,but for the purpose of illustration each tray is shown provided with adepending standard 17, the standards of each row of trays being coupledby links 18, and the terminal link extended and connected to a bellcrank lever 19 connected to the frame 10, preferably externally thereofas shown in Fig. 1. By this simple arrangement all of the trays of eachseries may be simultaneously tilted to discharge their contents. For thepurpose of illustration three series of trays are shown and eachprovided with its independent tilting mechanism.

Any suitable means may be employed for supplying the product to thetrays, but for the purpose of illustration a horizontal feed belt 20 isshown in position to convey the product to an elevating device 21 whichdeposits the product upon the distributing belt 13.

Any suitable means may be employed for actuating the various belts, butfor the purpose of illustration a shaft 22 is shown provided with adriye pulley 23 over which a drive belt 24 is conducted. The shaft 22 islikewise provided with various belt pulleys from which belts lead to thevarious conveyers, so that one shaft is employed to operate all of thebelts.

lfsith a device thus constructed the operation is as follows: Theproduct is fedto the belt 13 and distributed thereby to ,the upperseries of trays and permitted to remain thereon until partially dried.The upper crank 19 is then actuated to overturn the upper row of traysand deposit their contents simultaneously upon the next row of traysbelow. The upper row of trays is then supplied with another quantity ofthe product, and when the contents of the second tray have beensufficiently dried the second crank 19 is actuated to deposit theproduct upon the third tray, and the second row of trays returned totheir horizontal position. The contents of the upper series of trays arethen discharged upon the second series of trays and the upper series oftrays again supplied with the undried product. IVhen the product isfully dried upon the lower series of trays it is discharged upon thebelt 12 and conveyed thereby away from the machine into the sacks orother receptacles. By

this means a substantially continuous operation is possible with theimproved apparatus, thereby materially expediting the process andcorrespondingly increasing the capacity of the apparatus.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new is 1. Thecombination with a supporting frame having vertical walls formed ofhorizontal rails spaced apart, of a plurality of trays mounted fortilting` on said rails and arranged in superimposed series, independentmeans for tilting said trays, means for supplying a product to the upperseries of trays, and means for conducting the product from the trays ofthe final series, the air freely circulating over and between the seriesof trays and through the product when the same is passing downwardlythrough the series of trays.

2. An apparatus of the class described comprising a supporting frameincluding horizontal rails spaced apart and with open spaces betweenthem, a plurality of trays mounted for oscillation on said rails andarranged in superimposed series and in position for the free circulationof air above and below the trays, independent means for actuating thetrays of each series to discharge their contents upon the trays of theneXt series below, a conveyer belt extending partly over the upperseries of the trays and discharging midway of the same to distribute thematerial uniformly.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHESTER C. SIDIVELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

